Great post. Horror movies are certainly an odd duck in our cultural stew: works of conservative/traditionalist art made by liberals, and often distrusted by conservatives.
Jason Voorhees is the force behind your parent's warnings not to do drugs, drink, and have lots of casual sex. The teenagers who break these rules always get chopped up, while the girl who's pure, self-disciplined, and courageous lives to see another day.
It's general film-making wisdom that the only difference between comedy and horror is the sound-track. Or as Mel Brookes is attested to have said, 'Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you fall into an open sewer and die.'
Monstrous behaviour is real of course, and what journalists write can be far worse than what novelists dare put on pages, even when they're milking it.
But our tendency to also mythologise it, to decorate it with our shared Jungian undermind and add the melodramatic soundtrack is purely self-interested. That doesn't make it wrong; perhaps it makes it safer in the packaging. The organ makes it scarier, yet when the organ finally stops playing, you know that the scary is over.
I love horror, love its crafting, love its insights into its audience, but can no longer write or read most of it. If you see enough sad real stuff and can't change it, the transient cosplay of powerless-while-bad-happens no longer seems entertaining.
Maybe that position will change one day. I often miss its lurid chiaroscuro play.
I absolutely love this post for many, many reasons. 1, spiritual warfare is very real, and with it comes the realization that more often than not we let in the wrong one. (Referential pun intended). And 2, myths come from somewhere. Personally I think vampirism and those myths evolved from sacrificial blood rights. Ever read fr. Stephen De Youngs, "religion of the apostles"? It makes some really fascinating connections and claims, falls in line with a lot of monastic manuals.
Bram stoker was obsessed with blood due to his syphilis infection. There are those enticed by the romantic connotations, everlasting youth etc etc. don't have to go far to find evil in the Day to day
Awesome presentation of a solid list in the context of one of my new favorite horror movies. Yes, trust the gut. When someone says something out of synch with expectations, you can’t think it’s innocent. A female friend once mentioned a guy who was interested in hiring her for some marketing position but randomly said there was a bed in the office for employees to take naps! Extremely creepy and unsettling. I got a lot of “The Gift of Fear” by Gavin de Becker and am sure you have read it given your gut instinct (https://a.co/d/jg9W4yP)
Re: vampires, I actually watched the first two seasons of "What We Do In the Shadows" because one of the characters is one of the rare types of vampires I'm confident really does exist in real life: the energy vampire. And I'm not just saying that as an introvert -- we famously lose energy from social interactions.
There's a general type of person I've always referred to as a spiritual vampire, because they drain your joy and your energy and your time. My mother used to listen to a local talk radio show hostess, until one morning she realized she awakened with dread every day to the sound of that woman complaining and griping.
"Mom, she's a spiritual vampire. She always tries to stir people up to be angry and feel oppressed and downtrodden. This hostess never brings joy or insight, only the opposite," I pointed out.
"You're right. I'm going to stop listening to her."
Apparently a lot of people in our city agreed, because the talk show lost listeners in droves and she doesn't have that show anymore.
Unfortunately, WWDITS didn't explain the kryptonite for the energy vampire, but they did confirm that the sympathy vampire is real, too. They're the people who ALWAYS have some misfortune they're dealing with. No matter how big or small, they want you to cry with them as they cry about the Unhappy Happenstance of the Day. With them I just make sympathetic noises, ask no follow-ups, toss an aphorism and move on when I can't otherwise ignore them.
I've told friends and coworkers about the uncanny valley theory regarding ancient predators before. It's honestly pretty scary to think of. Something preyed upon us by mimicking us near but not quite perfect, to the point that even now tens of thousands of years later we still have a natural instinct to lash out at anything that looks too much like us but doesn't quite fit the bill. What happened to it? Is it still out there somewhere? And if so, is it STILL preying on us to this day and we just dont notice because it evolved similarly to either no longer trigger that response or keeps its activities well outside of societal scrutiny?
Great post. Horror movies are certainly an odd duck in our cultural stew: works of conservative/traditionalist art made by liberals, and often distrusted by conservatives.
Jason Voorhees is the force behind your parent's warnings not to do drugs, drink, and have lots of casual sex. The teenagers who break these rules always get chopped up, while the girl who's pure, self-disciplined, and courageous lives to see another day.
Modern-day parables
If Vampires exist, they’re nestled in some midwestern town. We can’t help but let people impose on our politeness.
Jokes aside, I love the stance that these things are real. Simply because they are.
And I’m constantly torn between wanting to see something like a giant myself or being thankful I never have.
It's general film-making wisdom that the only difference between comedy and horror is the sound-track. Or as Mel Brookes is attested to have said, 'Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you fall into an open sewer and die.'
Monstrous behaviour is real of course, and what journalists write can be far worse than what novelists dare put on pages, even when they're milking it.
But our tendency to also mythologise it, to decorate it with our shared Jungian undermind and add the melodramatic soundtrack is purely self-interested. That doesn't make it wrong; perhaps it makes it safer in the packaging. The organ makes it scarier, yet when the organ finally stops playing, you know that the scary is over.
I love horror, love its crafting, love its insights into its audience, but can no longer write or read most of it. If you see enough sad real stuff and can't change it, the transient cosplay of powerless-while-bad-happens no longer seems entertaining.
Maybe that position will change one day. I often miss its lurid chiaroscuro play.
I absolutely love this post for many, many reasons. 1, spiritual warfare is very real, and with it comes the realization that more often than not we let in the wrong one. (Referential pun intended). And 2, myths come from somewhere. Personally I think vampirism and those myths evolved from sacrificial blood rights. Ever read fr. Stephen De Youngs, "religion of the apostles"? It makes some really fascinating connections and claims, falls in line with a lot of monastic manuals.
I haven't read that, but it's definitely going on the list
Bram stoker was obsessed with blood due to his syphilis infection. There are those enticed by the romantic connotations, everlasting youth etc etc. don't have to go far to find evil in the Day to day
The prospect of everlasting youth and what some will do to achieve it is always an interesting character study
Dorian gray vibe. But Elizabeth barthory is closer to the truth. She should have bought into L'Oréal
Awesome presentation of a solid list in the context of one of my new favorite horror movies. Yes, trust the gut. When someone says something out of synch with expectations, you can’t think it’s innocent. A female friend once mentioned a guy who was interested in hiring her for some marketing position but randomly said there was a bed in the office for employees to take naps! Extremely creepy and unsettling. I got a lot of “The Gift of Fear” by Gavin de Becker and am sure you have read it given your gut instinct (https://a.co/d/jg9W4yP)
Re: vampires, I actually watched the first two seasons of "What We Do In the Shadows" because one of the characters is one of the rare types of vampires I'm confident really does exist in real life: the energy vampire. And I'm not just saying that as an introvert -- we famously lose energy from social interactions.
There's a general type of person I've always referred to as a spiritual vampire, because they drain your joy and your energy and your time. My mother used to listen to a local talk radio show hostess, until one morning she realized she awakened with dread every day to the sound of that woman complaining and griping.
"Mom, she's a spiritual vampire. She always tries to stir people up to be angry and feel oppressed and downtrodden. This hostess never brings joy or insight, only the opposite," I pointed out.
"You're right. I'm going to stop listening to her."
Apparently a lot of people in our city agreed, because the talk show lost listeners in droves and she doesn't have that show anymore.
Unfortunately, WWDITS didn't explain the kryptonite for the energy vampire, but they did confirm that the sympathy vampire is real, too. They're the people who ALWAYS have some misfortune they're dealing with. No matter how big or small, they want you to cry with them as they cry about the Unhappy Happenstance of the Day. With them I just make sympathetic noises, ask no follow-ups, toss an aphorism and move on when I can't otherwise ignore them.
Real life lessons. It all bears down to trusting our ‘sixth sense.’
Yes. We’re the only species taught to ignore it
Yes, that’s an interesting point and very true. Like critical thinking, another essential skill, which is not encouraged in an age of mass media.
The grenouille aim of perfection. Pride, but not material gain. Alot more murders in the suskind novel
I've told friends and coworkers about the uncanny valley theory regarding ancient predators before. It's honestly pretty scary to think of. Something preyed upon us by mimicking us near but not quite perfect, to the point that even now tens of thousands of years later we still have a natural instinct to lash out at anything that looks too much like us but doesn't quite fit the bill. What happened to it? Is it still out there somewhere? And if so, is it STILL preying on us to this day and we just dont notice because it evolved similarly to either no longer trigger that response or keeps its activities well outside of societal scrutiny?
A great read!
I'd like to suggest you take a small spiritual course with any New Age teacher; you might find their insights fascinating:
- Vampires do exist. Those who condemn others get an energetic high from their downfall.
- Zombies exist! Just take a look at people on their cell phones on the subway. ;)
- You'll learn what a soul is.
- They'll teach you how to move energy thru your body...
A whole slew of awesome things await!